A personal journey : objective and subjective realities
by Lynn Wiley
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts
Montana State University
© Copyright by Lynn Wiley (1986)
Abstract:
When I am walking in areas of foliage and vegetation, land that has been touched but not controlled by
man, I see particular organic forms that appear to stand out. These forms demand recognition and
acknowledgement of their existence and specificity in the midst of the myriad of other substances about
them. I see, especially, those forms that are bent, broken, impaired and parasite ridden. These small
parts of a larger forest speak to me of the ongoing process and paradox of life feeding death and death
begetting life. Precisely in their apparent weakness do they display their stature as distinct, individual
forms and reveal the perennial tension between the individuality of a specific, unique form set in
contrast with its existence as an unseparated part of a larger, harmonious and integral environmental
unity.
With this specific information, sometimes recorded by drawing or photographing from life, or
sometimes remembered, I return to the studio with the intention of painting the essence of this
experience.
Discarding the drawings and photographs, the remembrance of the forest that remains in my mind has
become the generalized, yet simplified, essence of what I observed. I recall that the alienated organic
form, in its natural setting, had its own unique identity, so that it appeared to stand out and dominate
over other botanic life; and yet, at the same time, it was but a small part of a larger ecosystem on which
it depended for its very existence. In like manner, I want this simplified form in my mind, when
portrayed on canvas or paper, to reveal both the characteristics of dominance/confrontation and
dependence/harmony.
Process: Expression Turning to the canvas or paper, I seek a means to present the simplicity and
essence of this objective phenomenon which I subjectively have perceived. In the process of
developing the canvas, I place a main image of expressive, imaginative power on the surface -- an
image which in its directness and force expresses the basic definition of the pertinent organic form.
This main image often determines the rhythm and direction of successive, supportive shape additions.
Exhibiting the same paradox of confrontation/harmony, these supportive shapes cut into the object
itself or specially exist behind the main image in congruity with it. These images, taken together,
appear in an environment/ground frequently interlocking with the shape/figures. Many of these forms
are tree-like, tubular growths which vertically are projecting in space, limited by the life they receive
from the sun. The compositions have a sense of isolation and strangeness.
My intention guides my desire to make as strong a statement as possible within any given set of
variables; these variables being the formal elements of art,, such as color, form, composition and
emotional mood. The color primarily is low in key with small areas of brightness, this all being in
accord with my intent to portray an emotionally muted and diffused forest light. A PERSONAL JOURNEY:
OBJECTIVE
AND SUBJECTIVE REALITIES
by
Lynn Wi I e y
A t h e s i s s ubm itted in p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t
o f t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r t h e degree
of
Master o f Fine A r t s
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bozeman, Montana
March 1986
N378
W6 4 3
Cop- oL
i i
A pp r ov a l
o f a thesis
s u b m i t t e d by
Lynn Wi I ey
T h i s t h e s i s has been read by each member o f t h e a u t h o r ' s g r a d u a t e
c o m m i t t e e and has been found t o be s a t i s f a c t o r y r e g a r d i n g c o n t e n t ,
E n g l i s h u sage, f o r m a t , c i t a t i o n s , b i b l i o g r a p h i c s t y l e , and c o n s i s t e n c y ,
and i s r eady f o r s u b m i s s i o n t o t h e C o l l e g e o f Gr aduat e S t u d i e s .
_______ 2 -- Z -7 '
fairperson,
Date
G r adu at e Commit t e e
Approved f o r t h e M a j o r Depart ment
I ■
4 .L
Date
Approved f o r t h e C o l l e g e o f Graduat e S t u d i e s
Date
Gra du at e Dean
i i I
STATEMENT OF PERMISSION TO USE
In p r e s e n t i n g t h i s
the sis
in p a r t i a l
f u l f i l l m e n t o f the
r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r a m a s t e r ' s d eg re e a t Montana S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y ,
t h a t the L ib r a r y s h a ll
Library.
make i t
I agr ee
a v a i l a b l e t o b o r r o w e r s und er r u l e s o f t h e
B r i e f q u o t a t io n s from t h i s
p ap e r a r e a l l o w a b l e w i t h o u t . s p e c i a l
p e r m i s s i o n , p r o v i d e d t h a t a c c u r a t e acknowledgement o f s o u r c e i s made.
Permission f o r e x te n s iv e q u o t a t io n
from o r r e p ro d u c tio n o f t h i s
pap er may be g r a n t e d by my m a j o r p r o f e s s o r , o r
Dean o f L i b r a r i e s when,
the m a te r ia l
m aterial
my w r i t t e n
pap er f o r f i n a n c i a l
t h e p roposed use o f
Any c o p y i n g o r use o f t h e
gain s h a ll
permission.
Si g n a t u r e
Date
in the o p in io n o f e i t h e r ,
i s f o r s c h o l a r l y purposes.
in t h i s
in h i s a b s e nc e, by t h e
A
7 ~ %'$'
\.
n o t be a l l o w e d w i t h o u t
I
A PERSONAL JOURNEY:
OBJECTIVE
AND SUBJECTIVE REALITIES
P ro c e s s :
When I am w a l k i n g
Concept
i n a r e a s o f f o l i a g e and v e g e t a t i o n ,
been t o uc hed b u t n o t c o n t r o l l e d
t h a t a pp ear t o s t a n d o u t .
by man,
These f or ms demand r e c o g n i t i o n and acknow­
o f o t h e r s u b s t a n c e s a b o u t them.
broken,
l a nd t h a t has
I see p a r t i c u l a r o r g a n i c forms
l edgement o f t h e i r e x i s t e n c e and s p e c i f i c i t y
bent,
-
in t h e m i d s t o f t h e m y r i a d
I se e, e s p e c i a l l y ,
i m p a i r e d and p a r a s i t e r i d d e n .
those forms t h a t are
These smal l
parts o f a
l a r g e r f o r e s t speak t o me o f t h e o n g o i n g p r o c e s s and p ar ad ox o f l i f e
f e e d i n g d e a t h and d e a t h b e g e t t i n g
life .
P recisely
in t h e i r apparent
weakness do t h e y d i s p l a y t h e i r s t a t u r e as d i s t i n c t ,
re veal
the perennial
unique form set
a la rg er,
f orms and
t e n s i o n between t h e i n d i v i d u a l i t y o f a s p e c i f i c ,
in c o n t r a s t w i t h
har mo ni ou s and i n t e g r a l
With t h i s
in d ivid u a l
sp ecific
p hotographing from l i f e ,
its
e x i s t e n c e as an u n s e p a r a t e d p a r t o f
environmental
in form a tion ,
unity.
sometimes r e co r d e d by d r a w i n g o r
o r sometimes remembered,
I return
to the s tu d io
w i t h t h e i n t e n t i o n o f p a i n t i n g t h e ess ence o f t h i s e x p e r i e n c e .
D i s c a r d i n g t h e d r a w i n g s and p h o t o g r a p h s ,
t h e remembrance o f t h e f o r e s t
t h a t re ma in s i n my mind has become t h e g e n e r a l i z e d ,
e ss ence o f what
in
its
natural
I observed.
I re ca ll
yet s im p lifie d ,
t h a t the a l i e n a t e d o r g a n ic form,
s e t t i n g , had i t s own u n i q u e i d e n t i t y ,
t o s t a n d o u t and d o m i n a t e o v e r o t h e r b o t a n i c , l i f e ;
so t h a t
and y e t ,
it
appeared
a t t h e same
2
tim e,
for
i t was b u t a sma ll
its
very existence.
p a r t o f a l a r g e r ecosyst em on w h i c h i t
depended
In l i k e m a n n e r , I want t h i s
f or m in
my mind, ' when p o r t r a y e d on canvas o r p a p e r ,
te ris tic s
t o reveal
s im p lifie d
both th e charac­
o f d o m i n a n c e / c o n f r o n t a t i o n and d ependence/ harmony.
Process:
T u r n i n g t o t h e canvas o r p a p e r ,
Expression
I seek a means t o p r e s e n t t h e
s i m p l i c i t y and es senc e o f t h i s o b j e c t i v e phenomenon w h i c h
I su bjective ly
have p e r c e i v e d .
I p l a c e a main
In t h e p r o c e s s o f d e v e l o p i n g t h e c a nv a s ,
image o f e x p r e s s i v e ,
in
its
i m a g i n a t i v e power on t h e s u r f a c e - - an image wh i ch
d i r e c t n e s s and f o r c e e x p r e s s e s t h e b a s i c d e f i n i t i o n
o f the
p e r t i n e n t o rg a n ic form.
T h i s main image o f t e n d e t e r m i n e s t h e rh yt hm and
d ir e c t io n o f successive,
s u p p o r t i v e shape a d d i t i o n s .
same -paradox o f c o n f r o n t a t i o n / h a r m o n y ,
the o b j e c t
w ith
it..
E x h i b i t i n g the
t h e s e s u p p o r t i ve shapes c u t
i t s e l f o r s p e c i a l l y e x i s t b e h i n d t h e main image i n c o n g r u i t y
These images, t a k e n t o g e t h e r , a p p ea r in an e n v i r o n m e n t / g r o u n d
fre qu e ntly
i n t e r l o c k i n g w it h the s h a p e /fig u re s .
tre e -lik e ,
t u b u l a r growths which v e r t i c a l l y are p r o j e c t i n g
lim ite d
by t h e l i f e
sense o f
into
is o la tio n
t h e y r e c e i v e f r o m t h e sun.
Many o f t h e s e f or ms a r e
in space,
The c o m p o s i t i o n s have a
and s t r a n g e n e s s .
My i n t e n t i o n g u i d e s my d e s i r e t o make as s t r o n g a s t a t e m e n t as
p o s s i b l e w i t h i n any g i v e n s e t o f v a r i a b l e s ;
these v a r i a b l e s
b e i ng t h e
formal
e l e m e n t s o f a r t , , such as c o l o r ‘ f o r m , c o m p o s i t i o n and e m o t i o n a l
mood.
The c o l o r p r i m a r i l y . i s
th is a ll
being
and d i f f u s e d
low i n key w i t h
small a r e as o f b r i g h t n e s s ,
in a c c o r d w i t h my i n t e n t t o p o r t r a y an e m o t i o n a l l y muted
forest
lig h t.
3
My p r e f e r r e d
Images a r e t h o s e t h a t p o r t r a y o r g a n i c f o r m b u t w h ic h
a l s o have power in and o f t h e m s e l v e s .
v a t i o n and d r a w i n g o f n a t u r e .
They a r e d e r i v e d f r o m my o b s e r ­
These p r i m a r y
become m o d i f i e d as o t h e r s t r u c t u r a l
images o f t e n change and
e l e m e n t s a r e added.
A sp ecific
image may be abandoned as a d i f f e r e n t shape t a k e s c o m p o s i t i o n a l
precedence.
Most o f t e n , my p a i n t i n g s o r p r i n t s w i l l
e v o l v e t h r o u g h a p ro cess
in
w h i c h o v e r l a y s and t r a n s p a r e n c i e s d e v e l o p t h e e s s e n t i a l wh ol en ess o f my
statement.
Monoprinting
lends i t s e l f
t o t h i s way o f w o r k i n g due t o t h e
ease o f chan ge, t h e l u m i n o s i t y t h a t can be a c h i e v e d by t r a n s p a r e n c y and
by t h e
immediacy o f t h e medium.
Painting
in t h i s manner a l s o le a ve s
t r a c k s o f t h e changes w h i c h enhance t h e t o t a l
c o l o r and c o m p o s i t i o n a l
e f f e c t when t h e s e t r a c k s a r e a l l o w e d t o r e ma i n .
Conclusions:
The Completed D i a l o g u e
In p r e s e n t i n g a v i e w o f a complex r e a l i t y w h ic h has been e d i t e d by
my i n n e r v i s i o n and r e p r e s e n t e d
in
its
s im p lic ity ,
I seek t o p r e s e n t t o
and draw f r o m t h e v i e w e r a p a r t i c i p a t o r y and e m p a t h i c r e s p on s e .
desire to e l i c i t
disru pte d ,
t h i s empathy by u s i n g o r g a n i c f or ms t h a t a r e o f t h e
the broken,
the u nusual.
ledge t h e i r uniqueness w i t h i n
them n o n - p r o p o r t i o n a l
co lo r.
I
In composing t h e s e f o r m s , I acknow­
t h e mo sa ic t o t a l i t y o f n a t u r e ,
by g i v i n g
s i z e s and p a i n t i n g them w i t h e m o t i o n a l l y muted
The v i e w e r can s h a r e w i t h me a re sp on s e t o t h e u n i q u e f or m w h ic h
i s b r o k e n and a l i e n a t e d and whose power comes f r o m t h e s e v e r y
a ffIic tio n s .
[
b
LI ST OF SLIDES
1.
"An E x t e r i o r C o n f r o n t a t i o n "
1985
60" x 72" ( o i l )
2.
"S heltered"
1985
58" x 70" ( o i l )
3.
" I n t e r r u p t e d Pose"
1985
60" x 72" ( o i l )
k.
"Looming"
1985
60" x 72"
(o il)
5.
Adversary I
1985
44" x 60" ( o i l )
6.
Adversary I I
1985
44" x 60" ( o i l )
7.
"Red D i v i d i n g t h e S t o n e "
1986
16" x 2 0 "
8.
(o il)
" A n o t h e r Way o f T r e e "
1986
16" x 2 0 "
9.
(o il)
"N a tu ra l Enemies/Natural
1985
16" x 2 0 " ( o i l )
10.
"P a ra sites"
1985
16" x 2 0 " ( o i l )
11.
"P ro te s tin g P arasites"
1985
16" x 2 0 " ( o i l )
Friends"
5
12.
" D o m i n a t i n g Limb"
1986
16" x 2 0 " ( o i l )
I3.
"B lu e Mountain"
1986
22" x 30"
14.
(monoprint)
"New Growth Takes Pre c ed e nc e "
1986
22" x 30"
15.
(monoprint)
"The Season in Between"
1986
22" x 30"
(monoprint)
U-COE on
ie S 8-9£9Z .L9
•SSBIrtl 1J B A Iti I i e j
Mimm
IB . USE. 0«.K